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Ninth Day
-
Novel VI

[Voice:
panfilo
]

[
001
]
Two young men lodge at an inn, of whom the one lies with
the host's daughter, his wife by inadvertence lying
with the other. He that lay with the daughter afterwards
gets into her father's bed and tells him all,
taking him to be his comrade. They bandy words:
whereupon the good woman, apprehending the circumstances,
gets her to bed with her daughter, and by
divers apt words re-establishes perfect accord.

[Voice:
author
]

[
002
]
Calandrino as on former occasions, so also on this, moved the
company to laughter. However, when the ladies had done talking
of his doings, the queen called for a story from Pamfilo, who thus
spoke:

[Voice:
panfilo
]

[
003
]
Worshipful ladies, this Niccolosa, that Calandrino loved,
has brought to my mind a story of another Niccolosa; which I am
minded to tell you, because 'twill shew you how a good woman
by her quick apprehension avoided a great scandal.

[Voice:
panfilo
]

[
004
]
In the plain of Mugnone there was not long ago a good man that
furnished travellers with meat and drink for money, and, for that he
was in poor circumstances, and had but a little house, gave not lodging
to every comer, but only to a few that he knew, and if they were
hard bested. [
005
]
Now the good man had to wife a very fine woman,
and by her had two children, to wit, a pretty and winsome girl of
some fifteen or sixteen summers, as yet unmarried, and a little
boy, not yet one year old, whom the mother suckled at her own
breast. [
006
]
The girl had found favour in the eyes of a goodly and
mannerly young gentleman of our city, who was not seldom in those
parts, and loved her to the point of passion. And she, being mightily
flattered to be loved by such a gallant, studied how to comport herself
so
debonairly as to retain his regard, and while she did so, grew
likewise enamoured of him; and divers times, by consent of both
their love had had its fruition, but that Pinuccio--such was the
gallant's name--shrank from the disgrace that 'twould bring upon
the girl and himself alike. [
007
]
But, as his passion daily waxed apace,
Pinuccio, yearning to find himself abed with her, bethought him that
he were best contrive to lodge with her father, deeming, from what
he knew of her father's economy, that, if he did so, he might effect
his purpose, and never a soul be the wiser: which idea no sooner
struck him, than he set about carrying it into effect.

[Voice:
panfilo
]

[
008
]
So, late one evening Pinuccio and a trusty comrade, Adriano by
name, to whom he had confided his love, hired two nags, and having
set upon them two valises, filled with straw or such-like stuff, sallied
forth of Florence, and rode by a circuitous route to the plain of
Mugnone, which they reached after nightfall; [
009
]
and having fetched a
compass, so that it might seem as if they were coming from Romagna,
they rode up to the good man's house, and knocked at the door.
The good man, knowing them both very well, opened to them forthwith:
whereupon:
“
Thou must even put us up to-night,
”
quoth
Pinuccio;
“
we thought to get into Florence, but, for all the speed
we could make, we are but arrived here, as thou seest, at this hour.
”
[
010
]
“
Pinuccio,
”
replied the host,
“
thou well knowest that I can but
make a sorry shift to lodge gentlemen like you; but yet, as night
has overtaken you here, and time serves not to betake you elsewhere,
I will gladly give you such accommodation as I may.
”
[
011
]
The two
gallants then dismounted and entered the inn, and having first looked
to their horses, brought out some supper that they had carried with
them, and supped with the host.

[Voice:
panfilo
]

Now the host had but one little bedroom, in which were three
beds, set, as conveniently as he could contrive, two on one side of the
room, and the third on the opposite side, but, for all that, there was
scarce room enough to pass through. [
012
]
The host had the least discomfortable
of the three beds made up for the two friends; and having
quartered them there, some little while afterwards, both being awake,
but feigning to be asleep, he caused his daughter to get into one of
the other two beds, while he and his wife took their places in the
third, the good woman setting the cradle, in which was her little boy,
beside the bed. [
013
]
Such, then, being the partition made of the beds,
Pinuccio,
who had taken exact note thereof, waited only until he
deemed all but himself to be asleep, and then got softly up and stole
to the bed in which lay his beloved, and laid himself beside her; and
she according him albeit a timorous yet a gladsome welcome, he
stayed there, taking with her that solace of which both were most
fain.

[Voice:
panfilo
]

[
014
]
Pinuccio being thus with the girl, it chanced that certain things,
being overset by a cat, fell with a noise that aroused the good woman,
who, fearing that it might be a matter of more consequence, got up
as best she might in the dark, and betook her to the place whence the
noise seemed to proceed. [
015
]
At the same time Adriano, not by reason
of the noise, which he heeded not, but perchance to answer the call of
nature, also got up, and questing about for a convenient place, came
upon the cradle beside the good woman's bed; and not being able
otherwise to go by, took it up, and set it beside his own bed, and
when he had accomplished his purpose, went back, and giving never
a thought to the cradle got him to bed. [
016
]
The good woman searched
until she found that the accident was no such matter as she had
supposed; so without troubling to strike a light to investigate it
further, she reproved the cat, and returned to the room, and groped
her way straight to the bed in which her husband lay asleep; but not
finding the cradle there, quoth she to herself: Alas! blunderer that
I am, what was I about? God's faith! I was going straight to the
guests' bed; [
017
]
and proceeding a little further, she found the cradle, and
laid herself down by Adriano in the bed that was beside it, taking
Adriano for her husband; and Adriano, who was still awake, received
her with all due benignity, and tackled her more than once to her
no small delight.

[Voice:
panfilo
]

[
018
]
Meanwhile Pinuccio fearing lest sleep should overtake him while
he was yet with his mistress, and having satisfied his desire, got up
and left her, to return to his bed; but when he got there, coming
upon the cradle, he supposed that 'twas the host's bed; and so going
a little further, he laid him down beside the host, who thereupon
awoke. [
019
]
Supposing that he had Adriano beside him:
“
I warrant
thee,
”
quoth Pinuccio to the host,
“
there was never so sweet a piece
of flesh as Niccolosa: by the body of God, such delight have I had
of her as never had man of woman; and, mark me, since I left thee,
I have gotten me up to the farm some six times.
”
[
020
]
Which tidings the
host being none too well pleased to learn, said first of all to
himself: What the Devil does this fellow here? Then, his
resentment getting the better of his prudence:
“
'Tis a gross affront
thou hast put upon me, Pinuccio,
”
quoth he;
“
nor know I what
occasion thou hast to do me such a wrong; but by the body of God
I will pay thee out.
”
[
021
]
Pinuccio, who was not the most discreet of
gallants, albeit he was now apprised of his error, instead of doing his
best to repair it, retorted:
“
And how wilt thou pay me out?
What canst thou do?
”
[
022
]
“
Hark what high words our guests are at
together!
”
quoth meanwhile the host's wife to Adriano, deeming
that she spoke to her husband. [
023
]
“
Let them be,
”
replied Adriano
with a laugh:
“
God give them a bad year: they drank too much
yestereve.
”
[
024
]
The good woman had already half recognized her
husband's angry tones, and now that she heard Adriano's voice, she
at once knew where she was and with whom. Accordingly, being
a discreet woman, she started up, and saying never a word, took her
child's cradle, and, though there was not a ray of light in the room,
bore it, divining rather than feeling her way, to the side of the bed
in which her daughter slept; [
025
]
and then, as if aroused by the noise
made by her husband, she called him, and asked what he and
Pinuccio were bandying words about.
“
Hearest thou not,
”
replied
the husband,
“
what he says he has this very night done to
Niccolosa?
”
“
Tush! he lies in the throat,
”
[
026
]
returned the good
woman:
“
he has not lain with Niccolosa; for what time he might
have done so, I laid me beside her myself, and I have been wide
awake ever since; and thou art a fool to believe him. You men
take so many cups before going to bed that then you dream, and
walk in your sleep, and imagine wonders. 'Tis a great pity you do
not break your necks. What does Pinuccio there? Why keeps he
not in his own bed?
”

[Voice:
panfilo
]

[
027
][
]
Whereupon Adriano, in his turn, seeing how adroitly the good
woman cloaked her own and her daughter's shame:
“
Pinuccio,
”
quoth he,
“
I have told thee a hundred times, that thou shouldst not
walk about at night; for this thy bad habit of getting up in thy
dreams and relating thy dreams for truth will get thee into a scrape
some time or another: come back, and God send thee a bad night.
”
[
028
]
Hearing Adriano thus confirm what his wife had said, the host began
to think that Pinuccio must be really dreaming; so he took him by the
shoulder, and fell a shaking him, and calling him by his name,
saying:
“
Pinuccio, wake up, and go back to thy bed.
”
[
029
]
Pinuccio,
taking his cue from what he had heard, began as a dreamer would be
like to do, to talk wanderingly; whereat the host laughed amain.
Then, feigning to be aroused by the shaking, Pinuccio uttered
Adriano's name, saying:
“
Is't already day, that thou callest me?
”
[
030
]
“
Ay, 'tis so,
”
quoth Adriano:
“
come hither.
”
[
031
]
Whereupon Pinuccio,
making as if he were mighty drowsy, got him up from beside the host,
and back to bed with Adriano. On the morrow, when they were
risen, the host fell a laughing and making merry touching Pinuccio and
his dreams. [
032
]
And so the jest passed from mouth to mouth, while the
gallants' horses were groomed and saddled, and their valises adjusted:
which done, they drank with the host, mounted and rode to Florence,
no less pleased with the manner than with the matter of the night's
adventure. [
033
]
Nor, afterwards, did Pinuccio fail to find other means of
meeting Niccolosa, who assured her mother that he had unquestionably
dreamed. For which cause the good woman, calling to mind
Adriano's embrace, accounted herself the only one that had watched.